A Blank Slate
by Rock Lees Lotus
Summary: Having your mind as nothing but a blank slate can be a terrifying thing... Can Maito Gai help his most precious student function, even when he can't remember him? Better than that makes it sound. Newly made GaixLee!
1. The Predicament

**A Blank Slate**

A Rock Lee fanfiction by Rock-Lees-Lotus

Chapter 1

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White walls and the flood of unknown smells; it was all he had to focus on to keep himself from crying. If he looked out the window, he would see places that brought him back to memories and he would begin to think. Right now, he could not bear to think. Thinking would force him face reality; the situation at hand, and right now, Maito Gai didn't want to face the fact that his most precious student had not opened his eyes in two days.

Their mission had been simple enough. The two of them, Gai and Lee, had been sent off to escort a noble back to his homeland. All had gone well and the mission had been a success… it was on the trip back that things went wrong. The lord's village had been atop a high and steep mountain that was far easier to scale up than down. As they had descended down a winding and thin path to the base, there had been a rockslide that caught Gai off-guard. Lee had pushed him out of the way and had fallen. When Gai finally reached him after what seemed like an eternity Lee was not moving, his breath was shallow, and deep crimson blood dripped from the back of his head. As he cradled the unconscious boy's body to his chest, Gai ran as hard as he believed he ever had, opening three of the _hachimon tonkou_ before reaching the gates of Konoha.

Now Gai sat with his head in his hands in a Konoha hospital room, watching as the salty water droplets from his eyes tumbled down onto his knees, deepening the green colour. He spent every moment he could sitting in that chair, waiting for Lee's eyes to flutter open.

"_Shi-… Shimatta…_."

Tsunade had told him that Lee was in a blunt-force trauma induced coma from what was probably a rock striking him in the back of the skull, causing brain damage. Yet Tsunade had been as she had always been; someone who tells the entirety of the truth. She had informed him that Lee may wake up any minute… she had also informed him that he may never wake up. Gai clung to that first possibility as if it were his last breath and pushed the latter as far back into his thoughts as he could. Yet somehow it always creped back in.

Gai allowed his vision to drift over to his right on onto Lee "sleeping" face. It was an expression of his chuunin student he had seen many times over their years of missions. For a fleeting moment, Gai let himself believe that maybe Lee truthfully was _just_ sleeping.

_They say ignorance is bliss… I guess it doesn't last long_, Gai thought to himself as he wiped his eyes on his sleeve. _Please, Lee… it's only been two days, but I can feel myself weakening. This is just too much… I'm creping up on my limit. Just, wake up, Lee… please…_

"Lee…" Gai reached out and let his fingers brush against his pupil's cheek. This boy, who when he had first met him was only about seven years old, had grown up before his eyes. At first, Gai had just watched him train in secret and smiled at his determination. It was seeing Lee that caused him to finally make up his mind and become a sensei. He had hoped that a student as exuberant as the one he had met years ago would be able to grace his team and was at first astonished when he got the list of his three new genins: Tenten, Hyuuga Neji, and Rock Lee.

As he watched him, minutes stretched on for hours and tears, too plentiful in number to count, kept finding their way down to the tiled floor. It was all this waiting and all this agony that didn't allow Gai to believe himself at first. Then it happened again. Long lashes flickered and bleary eyes began to slowly open. Lee was waking up.

Gai sat and starred for a few seconds as a feeling of pure elation began to rise up within him.

"Lee… you're awake! Oh, thank god! How do you feel? Are you alright?! Tsunade-sama!" Gai rushed to the doorway and his voice rang down the halls. "Lee… Lee is awake!"

It was not long before the clicking of heels sounded along with Gai's deep tone and Tsunade came through the door, closely followed by Shizune.

"Gai-"

"Lee, how do you feel?" Gai interrupted the Hokage, his mind running a mile a minute. He looked to Lee, who now sat upright in his bed. Bandages from minor cuts adorned his body along with the hospital gown that he wore. Yet the expression on his face did not sit well with Tsunade. Something about the way he looked around the room made her feel as if something bad was about to happen.

"I… I'm sorry, but…," Lee looked to Gai, his expression tortured by confusion. "Who are you?

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DUN DUN DAA!!!! I know, it's cheesy, so what? I'm cheesy! Hurray, this is my chaptered fic in a really long time so please R&R!


	2. I'm so Sorry

**A Blank Slate**

Chapter 2

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Gai froze. His body suddenly began to feel as if it were made of mercury and his heart of lead. He could not move, yet after a moment of just staring in disbelief, he hung his head. Shizune clasped her hands over her mouth in shock as she let out a little gasp. Tsunade looked from Lee to Gai, her expression grave.

"I-…. I'm so sorry….. But…. Oh god, where am I? I… I don't know anything…." Lee held his head in his hands, shaking, hyperventilating, terrified.

Tsunade was the first to step forward. "What's your name?" she asked, forcing calm upon herself with every amount of will in her body.

"My-My name…? Uh… I'm not sure… My head's all blank… That man… he-he called me 'Lee,' right? Is that my name?" Lee's eyes grew teary and he refused to look anyone in the eye as he hugged his arms to his chest. His gaze darted all around the room as he shook like a fearful rabbit caught in a trap.

Tsunade sighed, "Yes… Your name is Rock Lee. You're seventeen-years-old. You're in a hospital in Konoha after you suffered a severe head injury. You've been unconscious for two whole days. Do you understand?"

"H-Hai…" Lee chocked out, continuing to tremble. "I-I'm sorry! I-I can't think of any of your names! I don't know anything! My head is all white! I'm sorry!"

"Lee… calm down… breathe…" Tsunade tried to calm the panicking boy. "My name is Tsunade and I'm the Hokage of Konoha. You've… you have amnesia, but I'm sure you're already aware of that… Lee, your memory may come back tonight, or it may never come back. Alright? I'm sorry, Lee…"

Lee just nodded. He couldn't say much. What was there to say? This woman had just told him that he had so far lived seventeen years and that he could not remember any of it. Yet she was also telling him to "calm down." That seemed impossible to Lee. But there was him… This man that stood before his bed, this man whose tears he could see dripping from his face to the floor. Who was he? He had looked so betrayed when Lee had asked his identity. And yet… Lee felt that he **should** know him. Like this person was someone special to him. Someone he should remember no matter what! It infuriated him. Tears burned in his eyes.

_Why can't I remember this man?! Why can't I remember anything! Damn it all!_

"_Su-Sumimasen_… That man… I feel I should know him… I'm sorry…" Lee could not help himself from apologizing. These people, they all felt grief because of his inability to remember them. It made him feel so atrocious he could hardly bear it.

"He's your-" Tsunade began, but Gai raised a hand to silence her.

"I-… My name is Maito Gai," Gai voice was deceptively smooth, but on the inside her struggled with every word. This was his Lee, his little Lee whom he had known for so long, and here we was telling him his name. _Will he even be the same person as before? Will he… will he even care about me at all?_ "I am your jounin sensei and I have known you since you were very young." Gai's fists shook at his sides as he approached the point of breaking down. There was a long silence… but Gai broke it by exiting the room.

Closing the door behind him, he sunk down to the ground and wept. He wept for the confusion that his most precious student was going through. He wept for Lee's fears and his own. He wept for how much this boy would have to go through in order to get his life back to the way it once was. He wept because it was all his fault.

Gai was unaware as to how long he sat there until he was broken from his trance by Tsunade's voice. As she led him to a room where they could talk in private, Gai felt disgraceful. Neither of them said a word as they made their way down the hallway to an unoccupied room.

"Gai…" There was a long pause. "Look, Lee can't stay in the hospital, he needs to get back out into the village… but he can't live on his own yet. Usually, people in his condition would stay with a family member, but since Lee has no immediate family… Gai-"

"You want me to take him in?" Gai sat with his head hung on the edge of the room's unused bed.

"Gai… I think it would be the best for him… If-..." Tsunade sighed. "If his memory were to return, you would be the best person to be around him at that moment. Also, Gai, you've always taught Lee to do the right thing."

"Yes, but… Tsunade… How do I even know if he'll be the same person anymore? Who he was was shaped by the things that had happened to him in his life… Without those…"

"Gai," Tsunade placed her hand onto the man's shoulder and smiled at him warmly. "I have faith in you."

Gai nodded and smiled weakly, he felt so drained. "I'll do it," was all he said.

"Thank you, Gai."

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	3. Who am I!

**A Blank Slate**

A Rock Lee fanfiction by Rock-Lees-Lotus

Chapter 3

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It had only been a day since Gai had first heard those terrible words escape Lee's lips, yet here he was, standing in the front entrance of his apartment, the younger boy by his side, bags in hand. Lee wore his blue yukata top with black pants and as Gai turned to flash him a smile, he found Lee starring at his feet.

_He looks… ashamed…_ Gai thought. Reaching out, he tapped him under the chin and Lee's head snapped up in surprise.

"Don't worry," Gai charmed. "It'll be okay…" Lee just stared at him in a way Gai couldn't describe. It wasn't a blank stare, but it wasn't sad, hopeful, or disgruntled, yet it still was not void. His eyes seemed to scream out in want. He wanted to know what to say. He wanted to believe him. We wanted to know every detail of what his life had been like and how he had met the smiling, worried man before him. It wasn't fair. None of it was fair and every muscle in Gai and Lee's bodies ached with that knowledge. It was after a long silence that Gai's voice once more broke the air. "Shall I show you around?"

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The sun now faded into the horizon and the sky began to turn dark as twilight set in and, in the hours since his arrival, Lee had barely said a word. They both felt unnerved as they ate in silence and the ever awkward air that had been present since Lee had awoken was still hanging heavy in the air. Lee's eyes always seemed fixed on what ever was below him, constantly refusing to meet Gai's eyes. It was something that the Lee that Gai knew only did when something was truly troubling him. When ever he saw that face, that down-cast expression, Gai would go out of his way to talk to Lee and get whatever was bothering him off his chest. But this Lee was different. This Lee didn't remember all those times that they had talked over the past five years. This Lee would not bear his soul to him without a moment's hesitation. This Lee did not fully know him. This Lee did not yet trust him. This Lee he could not help. Suddenly, there was a loud crash.

"Dammit!" Lee let out and his fists shook on the table, fists which he had chosen to once more wrap in bandages. Gai was stunned by Lee's sudden outburst, to say the least, yet… he expected what was about to come. "Who the hell am I?! What the hell am I doing here?!" In his fury, Lee barely noticed the tears streaming from his eyes as he pounded on the table once more. "God dammit… Why me…? What am I…? What kind of person would do this to themselves?!" He ripped at his hands, revealing the scars, some of which he had dealt the day of his accident. "I did this to myself… I don't know how, but I know I did it to myself… Why…?"

"Lee…" Gai had no idea what to say. His student was breaking down once more before his eyes and this time he could not even begin to imagine what he was going through. "Lee… D-… Do you want to know what kind of person you were?" Lee gave him a tear filled stare as Gai stood and walked over to his side, crouching to meet his eye level. He didn't know how to respond as Gai took one of his hands, unwrapping it completely, and held it in his own as he spoke. "You…You were the kind of person who never gave up. You did this to yourself trying to gain what you wanted most, the ability to prove yourself. To become a great ninja using only taijutsu… that was your dream." Gai fought with himself to keep from crying, but he was beginning to lose the battle. _I should not be telling him **his** dream…_ "You were… an anomaly; someone who believed that anything could be achieved through hard work. I've always been so proud of you. You protected those you cared about and used every bit of will you had to push yourself harder. To push yourself to be stronger. You were a good person… but I'm not sure why I'm using past-tense because as long as there's breath in your body, I'm confident that you are still all those things... Lee, the injury you sustained… you got it when you probably saved my life. That's the kind of person you are." With one last smile, Gai left the room, leaving Lee to think as he knew he had to.

_A good person…_ Lee thought. _Gai-sensei… I don't understand… you are not just some teacher to me, are you…_ He tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling, mulling over the man's fatherly words in his mind. Slowly, a grin broke a across his lips and he small chuckle rang through the room. It was the first one since he had woken up.

In the other room, sitting with his back against the wall, Gai closed his eyes and sighed. _Perhaps… I can still help him… still be of a little use…_

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The next morning, Gai was awoken by the sound of his doorbell ringing. The buzzer let out a long tone as it only did when someone continually held the button. Getting up and quickly dressing, he opened the door. Gai was a very warm and kind man whose posture was always open and welcoming, but as the wooden structure moved out of the way, his body prickled and stiffened and his eyes grew cold. He may not have been good at remembering the faces of his enemies, but this particular man he had burned into his memory. His black hair was drawn back into a long braid and he had sharp eyes. His nose was small and his mouth oddly shaped, but age clearly showed on this man's face. He wore the clothes of someone who was not a ninja, but a commoner. In this man case, he was technically both… he was a failed ninja. As he placed a hand of the door frame to support himself, a scar running from his thumb up to his elbow reviled itself from his long and wide sleeve. The look he gave Gai was of utter distain, but it was a glare that he shot at all he passed. He was cruel and Gai knew this better than most in the village. To others of Konoha, he was a disgruntled man who was to be avoided if possible, to Gai, he was his worst nightmare.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Gai said, his voice as unforgiving as his stare.

"Is that… any way to treat an old friend, Gai?" the man responded in a mocking tone. As the sent of his breath hit him and his slouching posture was taken note of, Gai knew that the man before him was drunk.

"Since when have we been friends, Sei?"

"Always so cold to me, Gai…"

"Get out of here. You're drunk and it's still morning, have you no shame?"

"Just… Just let me see him… I know he's here … Just let me see him… Come on…" Gai's fist balled at his side and his grip on the door tightened.

"You're forbidden to see him, you know that! Why the hell would I let you do any more damage than you've already done?"

"No… No… I know what happened…"

"Get out."

"I can start over…"

"Get out."

"Come on… just let me see him-"

"**Get the hell out of here, Sei, before I tell Tsunade you were here… I know she'll honor the Third's decision…"** With that, Gai slammed the door in Sei's face. _How does he know… Dammit! He shouldn't know! He can't be allowed near him…_

"Gai-sensei, are you alright?" Lee's voice snapped Gai from his trance. "Who was that at the door?"

"Ah… It was nobody," Gai lied. He would keep the visitor hidden from this boy as long as possible. _You will not come near him, you will not hurt him, and God help you Sei if I discover that you've done any of those things… God help you…_

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Yay! The third chapter is up! (gasp) Who is this mysterious Sei character? What could he possible have to do with Gai? You'll have to wait to find out! XD

I apologize for yet another short chapter, but this was really the only place I could end it without just making it way to much mental masochism for one chapter! It is longer then the last two... only by about a page... but it doesn't matter! I hope you enjoyed it and that you'll continue to read!


	4. Run In

**A Blank Slate**

A Rock Lee fanfiction by Rock-Lees-Lotus

Chapter 4

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This man was loud, boisterous, and always seemed to talking about youth. This man had taken him in and was his sole reassurance that he was a good person and that his current state was only temporary. This man was currently all he knew. This man was his only link to his past. This man was… controlling.

For how long, Lee could not be sure, but it would be fair to say that for the past good chunk of time, Gai had been doing nothing but setting down rules for his temporary roommate. And these were not your average roommate rules of common courtesy, these were rules that stated that he could basically do nothing but sit in his host's apartment. Ever since the unknown visitor had come to the door, Gai had been prattling on in a nervous state like a mother hen to her chicks after just spotting a hungry fox near the coop. It had begun to annoy him.

"… and finally, you are not to go out on your own, alright? If you are to leave here you need to be accompanied by someone I trust. Now, Lee, do you understand everything that I've just said to you?" Gai placed a hand on Lee's shoulder and starred deep into his eyes. Lee wasn't sure what his teacher was looking for in his gaze, but it made him nervous.

"Yes…" he said, looking away and down at the floor.

Gai sighed. "I… I'm sorry, I just… I don't want to see you get hurt, okay?"

With all that Gai had said, Lee began to wonder whether or not he should fear the place he lived. With all the precautions that Gai took, his home seemed treacherous and unsafe.

_Is this place really so… dangerous? I wonder…_ Lee thought to himself, yet said nothing.

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Eventually, Lee's curiosity began to rule him. He wanted know more about the place he had grown up in, lived in, known for all his life, yet now knew nothing about. He wanted to see whether or not being out in the places that were once familiar to him would bring back his memories. That was why, the next time that Gai left to take care of something, he waited for fifteen minutes, and then snuck out the door, down the stairs, and into the street.

The pupils of his dark brown eyes contracted for a few seconds at first as he adjusted to the bright sunshine outside. Soon, the sound of voices flooded his ears and everything came into focus. Lee looked around him, surrounded by the scenery of the streets of Konoha for what, to his memory, was his first time.

_It's... peaceful…_ For a moment, Lee did nothing but stand there, drinking it all in. But it soon occurred to him that he did not know for how long Gai would be out and he had a lot to see before he was caught. It started as a slow walk and eventually progressed into a light jog, then into a run. He had no idea where he was going, but his body just drove him to go somewhere, anywhere.

"Oi, Geji-mayo!" A voice called, but Lee paid no attention. "Geji-mayo!" He felt a hand grab his elbow and twist him around. "Geez, Geji-mayo, what's up with you? Is your brain out in space, or something?"

Lee met the blue eyes of a blonde boy in black and orange clothing. He wore an annoyed expression and three long streaks adorned both sides of his face. As the boy, who proceeded to call him "fuzzy eyebrows," continued in his hyperactive rant, Lee said nothing.

"So, I haven't seen you in a while! Were you out on a mission? Me too, but I got back a week ago! Hey… how come you're wearing those clothes? Where's your green suit? Did you get hurt again? You usually only wear those clothes when you're hurt or just out of the hospital! You don't look hurt… Is it somewhere under your clothes? On second thought, don't answer that… Uh… Geji-mayo? Are you okay? You seem pretty quiet…"

"Uh…," _Quick, Lee, come up with a lie!_ "I-I'm fine! Hehehe… Well, I better get going! I've got a busy day ahead of me! Bye!"

With that, Lee left a baffled blonde boy standing alone in the street.

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As soon as Gai opened the door, he felt a strong tingling sensation in his gut telling him something was wrong. The apartment felt far too empty.

"L-Lee…?" Gai called, but there was no response. He proceeded to search the apartment (which was not too grand to begin with), calling out the boy's name again and again, but to no avail. Gai inwardly cursed, heading out the door. _This is not good… Lee, where could you have gone? With Sei around… Damn!_

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Lee went where ever his feet took him and before he knew it, he was on the outskirts of the village, standing in a clearing, surrounded by trees. In the centre of the clearing, it looked as if the grass had been worn away around a heavily beaten tree stump from heavy traffic. He walked up to the remains of the thick trunk, examining it with his hands. He didn't know why, but of all the things he had seen through his walk through the village, this simple object peaked his interest the most. He ran his fingers over the many indentations and shatter marks of the wood. They couldn't have been very old, but to have worn so much of the timber away must have taken years.

A tingle ran up his spine as it had countless times since he had left the apartment. He had the feeling that somebody was following him, watching him, but every time he looked over his shoulders and examined his surroundings, he found no one out of the ordinary, or no one at all. Every time he did so he would reassure himself that he was alone, but the uneasy sensation would never leave him.

In an attempt to calm himself, he returned his attention to the tree stump. Suddenly, an idea struck him. He made his right hand into a fist and slowly placed his balled hand in one of the dents of the wood. Lee wasn't sure whether he was surprised or not when his fist fit perfectly into the notches, but it gave him an odd warmth to see that it did. _My hands… This is why. I was training… to be a ninja… Just like Gai-sensei said. _Lee smiled, but a pang of guilt struck him in the gut. Gai-sensei… he had been very kind to him and he had just repaid him with deception. _I-I should go back… Before Gai-sensei worries too much._

As Lee turned to leave, he heard the leaves of the bushes and trees to his right rustle. He stood frozen, his head turned towards the noise as an unknown figure joined him in the clearing. It was a man with a long black braid and cold eyes who wore a villager's clothes and held a bottle of alcohol in his hand. Lee had no idea why, but the very sight of him caused his heart to pound. Sweat began to gather on Lee's brow and his breathing became laboured as his body was thrown into a panic. Some instinct deep within him was telling him to run, to put as much distance between this man and himself, but his feet remained rooted to the earth, his legs refusing to move.

"L-Lee…?" the man spoke in a gravely voice as he slurred the boy's name. "Is 'zat you?..." Lee attempted to speak, but his voice caught in his throat and no sound came out as the man advanced closer and closer towards him. "Do you remember how I am, Lee? Dya'… recognize me?"

"N-No… I don't know who you are… or anything…" As Lee finally found his voice, he attempted to sound calm, but his emotions betrayed him. His knees began to shake. He could not fathom what was causing him to be so afraid of a man so visibly inebriated and who stood less than a foot shorter than him, but at that moment, that was low on his minds list of priorities. _Run… Run, Lee, something's telling you to run… This man… h-he's dangerous… Run back to Gai-sensei… he makes you feel safe…_

Suddenly, the man's hands were on Lee's shoulders as he shook him with as much force as he could muster. "Don't you see? We can start over! You can learn about me all over again! Come on, Lee!"

The man's actions were only causing Lee's panic to rise and he suddenly felt his body moving on its own. He brought his arms up and then down, breaking the man's grip on his shoulders, and then swung his leg up to kick the man square in the chest, all in one incredible fluid motion. Lee wasn't quite certain of what had just taken place or how his body had just moved with such expert precision, but the important thing was that his body was moving again, and he intended to take full advantage of it. Lee turned and ran out of the clearing the way he had come as the man sat stunned on the ground where he had kicked him.

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Lee's heart pounded loudly in his ears as he panted and ran along the forest path, determined to escape the crazed man. Lee had no idea what he meant by "start over," but that that point it did not matter. He would about that man's words and identity later when his mind was not so blurred by fear and panic.

Suddenly, there was a flash of green and a figure stood directly in his path. Lee grinded to sudden stop as he and Gai-sensei met face to face.

"Lee, what are you-"Gai's words suddenly died off as the look of terror on Lee's features registered in his mind. "Lee, what happened?!"

"Th-There was this man… I-I don't know who he was…"

Gai's heart knotted tighter at Lee words, his mind immediately thinking of Sei. "Did he hurt you?! What happened?! What did he say?!"

"I-I don't know!" Lee burst out, visibly shaken. "I-I… I kicked him and ran off…" Before Lee could say another word, he felt Gai's arms around him in a tight embrace. "S-Sensei…?" Lee whispered as his teacher buried his head in his shoulder and held him tight.

"You had me so worried, Lee…" Gai knew that he should probably not be doing what he was, but as all his feelings of anxiety and distress upon discovering of Lee's disappearance burst from him, he could not help but hug the boy. _This is probably just confusing him…A grown man, his teacher, is embracing him and on the edge of tears… I should let go, but… I can't seem to…_ Slowly, Gai felt something that he could not have expected. Lee's arms gradually found their way around Gai's broad shoulders as he returned the sign of affection.

"I'm sorry, Gai-sensei… I was so curious… I'm sorry…" Lee had no idea of the emotions his simple action had sent coursing through Gai's very core.

"Lee…" Gai nearly whispered. "Lee, I… I owe you an explanation… about who that man was…"

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OMGai! XD I ACTUALLY POSTED A NEW CHAPTER OF THIS FANFIC:O It's a miracle!!!

Anyways, I apologize once more for the incredible wait that anybody who reads this had to go through. If you read my deviantART journal (www.rock-lees-lotus. the journal entries entitled "Hitaus" and "A Confession"), you know what happened with this fic and my mind. Ugh… So, thanks for waiting! In the next chapter, Sei's identity may be revealed! DUN DUN DAAA!!!!!!!


	5. Truths, Silences, and Anger

Well, the end result of the poll is "yes" 8 and "no" 2. So, it looks like the "yes" vote wins, everybody. DEAL! P

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The pair had walked in awkward silence back to the apartment where they had both inhabited for the past few days. Lee was far too shaken to speak up and Gai's mind raced with possibilities of just how he would say what he needed to. He was about to tell his student something that Lee had not even told him himself; Gai had been formally informed of the issue by the third Hokage approximately three months after Lee had joined his team. It was something that Lee had never spoken of, but also something that Gai could tell was on his mind from time to time. How do you tell someone about something that heavily impacted _their own_ life? Gai was not certain...

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Entering the apartment was the same as walking to it; silent. Gai walked to his living room and sat down on the couch with a sigh, motioning for Lee to do the same. As his student complied, Gai wondered where to begin.

"That man's name is Sei." Gai decided to get right to the point. "He used to be a ninja, but he was disgraced and forced to quit. He's a man who lost his way of the ninja…" Gai glanced over to see Lee starring at him intently, his eyes searching for further information, impatient yet not wanting to interrupt. "There was a time when he had a wife and son, but as his life began to spiral downward, his already short temper began to spiral out of control. He began beating his three-year-old son and his wife, and Sei turned to alcohol. It all carried on in secret for a while, but when his son was seven what was actually going on in that home was discovered by the Hokage after Sei's wife mysteriously disappeared. The Hokage sent out an immediate order that the boy be separated from his father in order to keep him safe, and that Sei was not allowed in the interior of the village where the boy lived. That… was ten years ago. Lee… you're seventeen… You're Sei's son."

Lee's eyes were wide as he let out a shaky breath.

"I-It was something you never used to talk about… I don't know how he heard about what happened, but he probably thinks that he can use this to start his life all over again. He's violated his exile from time to time, but I've usually succeeded in scarring him off. H-He's unusually persistent this time… But Lee, I promise I won't let him hurt you! Please, you need to understand, this is why I was so adamant about you not leaving the apartment on your own…"

Lee nodded silently and swallowed. Hesitantly, he reached out and grabbed onto his teacher's hand. For a moment, Gai was taken aback, but he slowly eased into the contact and gave Lee's hand a gentle squeeze.

_He just needs something to ground himself,_ Gai thought. _This is a lot for him to take in… Damn it, right when I had him, he's taken away from me…_

It was as if Lee suddenly realized what he was doing as he let out a little gasp and pulled his hand away; blushing as he suddenly became very interested in what the floor looked like. "S-Sorry," he muttered.

"It's okay," Gai smiled warmly. "That's a lot of information to absorb all at once; you're probably a little shaken up." Lee nodded silently, still refusing to meet his teacher's gaze. Why was he still blushing? As ever, Lee's mind was a myriad of confusion.

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Two weeks passed without incident. Lee was still uncharacteristically quiet, but whenever that thought crossed Gai's mind, he would push it away. Due to the fact that, in truth, it was not uncharacteristic. It was just not the Lee that he had known. He had the same face, same voice, same body, but he was not the same person. It was a difficult thing to comprehend.

One afternoon, there was another knock on the door. Gai's body tensed as he went to answer it, preparing himself for another encounter with Sei. However, when he opened the door, his stern expression softened to see a much more familiar and friendly face.

"Gai-sensei, Hokage-sama wishes you to meet her at the hospital," spoke the seventeen-year-old boy that stood in the doorway.

Not recognizing the voice, Lee stood and, discretely as he could, peaked around the corner to view the person in the doorway, looking very much like a scared little child. Lee examined the boy's long auburn hair tied back in a very loose ponytail and dusted mauve pupil-less eyes that seemed rather emotionless at the moment.

"Ah, thank you, Neji," Gai replied with a smile. He paused for a moment, seemingly in thought, before turning to look back at Lee. As he did so, his smile seemed to change entirely. His mouth did not so much as twitch, but his eyes spoke an entirely different story. However, before Lee could even begin to decipher its meaning, Gai was beckoning him over and turning back to the other boy. "Neji, do you think you could do me a favour while I'm out?"

"What is it, Gai-sensei?" Neji asked, his eyes flicking from his team mate to his teacher as Lee approached the pair apprehensively.

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind taking Lee out around the village for a little while. I haven't been able to lately and I'm not comfortable with him being out of his own quite yet. I'm sure you'll do a fine job, Neji!" Gai finished as he gave Neji the 'Nice Guy Pose,' a glint shining off of his teeth.

Neji nodded. He was aware of the situation, shortly after Lee and Gai had left the hospital Tsunade had called Neji and Tenten into her office to explain Lee's amnesia to them. Neji had not yet truly faced the situation or the idea of his team mate's memory loss until that moment.

"Good, I care you can introduce yourself!"

-------------------------------------

The silence that befell the pair as they walked away from Gai's apartment building was incredibly uncomfortable. Neji had not spoken since they had left and Lee had no idea what to say, though he did not doubt that his 'tour guide' felt the same way. It was not until a few more moments had passed that Neji finally spoke up in his low, calm tone.

"My name is Hyuuga Neji. I've been your team mate since we were twelve years old."

"A-Ah, I see…" Lee replied, feeling suddenly very guilty for some reason. "G-Gai-sensei spoke of you…"

"I'm sure he did," Neji responded in a cool timbre. Something about the way the boy spoke made Lee increasingly nervous. What Lee had said was true, Gai had spoken to him about Neji and his other team mate, Tenten. He had been told that he and this boy were "eternal rivals," whatever that meant. However, for some unknown explanation, he felt that Neji was mad at him. He could not understand it, why would he be angry with him? Lee could not think of anything he had done that warranted irritation, he had only just met the boy. Then the thought occurred to him of the possibility that he had done something before, something that he did not now remember. He remembered that Gai-sensei had told him about Neji's cool attitude, about how he was introverted and quiet, but this was a different kind of feeling that Lee felt emanating from the boy. It did not put him at ease in the least.

-------------------------------------

As Gai reached his destination, he knocked on the door of the room where he had been directed by the receptionist lightly.

"Come in, Gai," Tsunade said without turning around as she gazed out the window. Safe for the two of them, the room had nothing but two empty beds with a curtain between them. Such a sight was a testament to the relatively peaceful times they were in, that they could actually have an empty room in the hospital. After a moment's pause, the Hokage turned to the jounin she had summoned. "I assume that you're well aware of what I wish to talk about."

"Lee," Gai affirmed.

Tsunade nodded. "And how is his condition?"

Gai let out a sigh as he closed his eyes, mulling over the situation in his mind. "He's… scared," Gai finally said. "None of his memories have returned as of yet, it seems to be causing him more and more distress. He's much more withdrawn, as is to be expected. He's not keen to ask me questions, either, I have to pry his curiosities out of him. He has had a few breakdowns, though…"

"As is normal, Gai."

"Yes, I am aware…"

"And… how are _you_ faring?" Tsunade asked, watching the man with observant eyes.

-------------------------------------

Very few words were exchanged between the pair of team mates as they made their way through the streets. Eventually, Neji led Lee to the place he had visited on his solo adventure two weeks prior.

"This is our team training grounds. We have come here almost every day since we became team mates in order to hone our skills as ninja and you used to train here even before that."

Neji's voice was distant and smooth.

"This is the place where you would challenge me constantly, try to defeat me repeatedly in vain..."

Something in Neji's voice was beginning to change, to alter.

"Try to prove yourself, try to show that hard work could overcome genius..."

Gone was the detachment, the true anger was showing through.

"You wanted to change your fate, to overpower me, to prove yourself, to prove that not everything is set in stone!"

The level of his voice was rising, to the point where he was shouting. Neji had grabbed onto Lee's shoulders.

"What's going to happen to all that now?!"

-------------------------------------

"H-How am I faring? What do you mean, Tsunade-sama?" Gai plastered a smile on his face, raising his hands defensively.

"You know what I mean… Even a fool could tell how much that boy means to you. So, how are you faring?"

Gai's hands slowly fell down to his sides as his expression changed to befit a much more sombre mood. "I'm doing fine…"

"That's not what your face says," Tsunade smiled.

Gai sighed. "It's difficult, I'll warrant that… he's so very different from they way he was before… It's the same face, yet somehow the smile is different. The same body, and yet a different posture…"

"Gai-"

"I understand, Tsunade-sama, there's no need to explain it to me," Gai interrupted. "Without his memories, all that made Lee Lee is gone. All that defined him is missing to him… it's just taking me a while to adjust. And… it's difficult to see him in so much pain…""

"Gai… that's not all, is it? Something else is bothering you… I can tell…"

Gai flinched at the words and let out a small laugh. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about-"

"Don't play dumb with me," Tsunade butt-in with a commanding tone. "Did something happen before the accident?"

_Did something happen indeed…_ Gai thought.

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"N-Neji-san, p-please stop!" Lee cried as his knees began to feel weak.

"I was counting on you!" Neji screamed as his grip remained strong on Lee's biceps. "You were going to be the one to prove it! To make it 100!"

"I-I don't understand…" Lee nearly whimpered.

"You were going to prove that you can go against fate! You were going to beat the odds against you!" With a grunt, Neji tossed Lee into a nearby tree and fell to his knees. "If you could do it… then I figured that I could to…"

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"_Gai-sensei?" Lee said with a smile as he sat beside his teacher, cuddled close. The mountain they were on was too treacherous to travel with the limited visibility of night, so they had stopped to rest until morning._

…

"Tsunade-sama, I appreciate your concern, but nothing significant happened prior to the accident and I am fine," Gai spoke calmly.

…

"_What is it, Lee?" he asked, looking down at the boy whose face was glowingly illuminated by the fire they sat before, just the two of them, in contrast to the dark night sky._

…

"You're a poor liar, Gai, did you know that?" Tsunade said, crossing her arms over her chest.

…

"_There's… there's something I've been wanting to tell you…" Lee's eyes went from his sensei to the fire, the dance of the flames reflecting in his dark eyes. "I told myself that I would wait… Just a few more months, until I was eighteen, to tell you, but… I don't think I can really wait to say it anymore…"_

…

"I'm afraid that's something I'll have to live with, then," he replied.

…

"_Gai-sensei, I…"_


End file.
